Aftermath
by RenHyogo
Summary: Vash defeats Knives, without killing him, and begins the battle to change Knives' heart. Meryl and Milly are both dealing with a lot of their own things. I fail at summaries... I'm just testing the waters with this one... may have Lemons later... which is why i've marked it as M
1. Chapter 1: Its Not Over Yet

**A/N: I do not own Trigun  
><strong>**I'm not sure I'll continue this... I'm just testing it.**

**Chapter One: It's Not Over Yet**

Meryl Stryfe, a 5'2" woman with short black hair and gray eyes sat on the front steps of the house she had been living in with her colleague. She and Milly, her colleague, had been there for 2 months. Meryl wore the same clothes she always had and kept her 'throw-away' pistols close by. She and Milly were waiting for him. "It's been 2 months already," She mumbled out loud, "how much time do you need, Vash? You aren't supposed to keep a good woman like me waiting." Meryl couldn't help it, she was depressed. A few days had turned into two months. She would be angry with him but she knew that Knives, his brother, wouldn't be making things easy. With a sigh Meryl pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to curl into a ball.

"He'll be here soon, I'm sure of it," a cheery voice called from behind her. Meryl turned her head to look at her friend. Milly Thompson stood 5'7" tall, 5 inches more than Meryl. Meryl's eyes met Milly's blue ones and she could see the hurt within them. Even with all the pain she still did her best to cheer Meryl up. Milly sat beside Meryl and placed her hands on her lap. Milly's long brown hair shined in the sun, it looked so pretty.

Meryl straightened out her legs and kept eye contact with Milly before stating, "Yeah, you're right. He gave his word. As soon as Knives is better he'll come get us and we'll all be happy." She didn't know that she believed the last part. Knives had done nothing but destroy humans and the mental health of his brother.

Milly was the person who broke eye contact first. Something was wrong, other than the fact that the man Milly loved was dead. Meryl couldn't read her. "When Mister Vash comes back," Milly said as she looked at the ground, "I don't think I'll be going with you two."

Meryl wasn't sure she heard right at first. "What," she said with a gasp, "What do you mean you won't be going with us? Of course you are why would you want to stay here?" Meryl couldn't process it, Milly had been by her side for so long. Meryl didn't want to live without Milly around. She wasn't always the smartest person but her smile and moments of genius were irreplaceable. She was the only friend Meryl truly had and without Milly, life would seem incomplete.

Milly fidgeted with her fingers slightly, as if nervous and trying to figure out how to piece her words together. "Well," Milly said quietly, her cheery tone completely gone, "Life around Mister Vash is usually dangerous. I hope that things will be calmer for him now, you said he seemed to like the idea of staying in one place, but what if trouble still follows him?" Meryl watched as Milly closed her blue eyes, still trying to piece things together. Meryl had the urge to interrupt, to tell her that it wouldn't be as dangerous and they'd all be fine, but she didn't. Milly exhaled slowly before saying, "I can't raise a baby like that."

Meryl was now sure she didn't hear that right. She felt all the color flush from her face. Milly looked like she was about to cry and that's when Meryl had her moment of clarity. Instead of getting mad she wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders and told her, "That's great isn't it? I know Wolfwood isn't around but," Meryl's words trailed off as she watched the first tear fall from the corner of Milly's eye, "he's left something amazing behind. A baby Wolfwood." Meryl almost smiled, trying to picture the priest as a baby, but that quickly disappeared as Milly buried her face into Meryl's shoulder. "I'd really like for you to come with me," Meryl told her as she ran her fingers gently through Milly's brown locks. "I don't want you going through this alone. You're my friend and I will help you. Vash will want to help too, I'm sure of it."

Milly's tears soaked Meryl's cloak as she cried. Meryl had grown used to this, Milly had been through so much pain lately. Wolfwood had meant so much to Milly and he died so horribly. His death had really taken its toll on Milly. "What am I going to do," Milly asked between sobs. Meryl's heart was breaking all over again for her friend.

Meryl would never forget how her friend cried the day Wolfwood died. She ended up diving into work mining just to avoid thinking. "We'll get through this together, Milly," Meryl told her. Truth was Meryl wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Her friend was practically a widow and now she had found out she was pregnant with the man's baby. Meryl wondered how long Milly had known, how long she carried that weight without help. It didn't matter, Meryl would stick by her friend and knew that this was a good thing, even if this would be difficult.

Vash the Stampede sat straight up in his bed. The tall, very tall, man placed his hands over his green eyes, covering them to clear his head. His usually spikey blond hair was fairly flat from being asleep. His heart was racing, another nightmare about Legato. Vash had come to peace with himself over taking a life but it still haunted him. As soon as his heart returned to its normal pace, her turned and stared at the second bed in the room. His brother, Knives, was sleeping soundly.

So much had happened with Knives during the nearly two months since their showdown. Vash had told Meryl he'd only be gone a few days but that had turned out to be a lie. He had expected Knives to be hostile, a man didn't change overnight, but he had never imagined just how difficult Knives would be. Vash wanted to go back to Meryl, to live a quiet life for a change. He couldn't do that until Knives could behave. Things were getting better though, Knives' physical body was mostly recovered and Vash recovered well too, thanks to the woman who had found them.

_Vash was carrying Knives, he knew that he had to get Knives away from people. Vash walked with Knives as far as he could, but he was tired. They both were in pretty bad shape, Knives was worse off. Vash had just sat down to rest when he closed his eyes. He didn't know how much time had passed but when he opened his eyes he heard a soft voice asking, "Are you guys okay?"_

_Vash opened his eyes to see a short young woman, she was maybe 25. She had really long black hair, it wasn't as black as Meryl's though. She was really pretty, her skin was pale like porcelain. A smile formed on Vash's lips. A pretty girl was talking to him! He thought about flirting but then he thought of Meryl. She was too nice of a girl to do that to, he really was smitten with her. She was so much like Rem. Vash stared into the girl's pale gray eyes and told her, "We just stopped to get a little rest." _

_Vash watched her eyes move between Vash and Knives. She had a worried expression, not a good thing on such a pretty face. He watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke quietly, "My house isn't too far away. Your brother doesn't look so well." She paused, as if to think, and Vash watched her cheeks turn a soft pink. "I'm sorry," she told him softly, "I should introduce myself. I'm Kiva Armstrong." Vash watched the female's lips move, creating one of the gentlest smiles he had ever seen._

_"I'm Vash," he said calmly. He hated introducing himself, knowing this woman would probably want the sixty billion double dollars on his head now. He flashed a small smile at her and said, "This is my brother Knives." _

_Much to Vash's surprise, Kiva didn't freak out. He would have to be careful of this one. She was either stupid or planning something. "Knives," She repeated as she stared at his brother, "He seems like he needs medical care." She kept her gray eyes fixated on Knives. It was a strange site. "I'm a nurse. I could try to help him, i-if you want," she nervously bit her lower lip._

Since that time they had stayed with Kiva. She was a really kind person, even if Vash hadn't trusted her at first. He had been extremely skeptical, on the inside. Knives' breathing seemed peaceful. Vash now knew that Kiva had had no idea what she had gotten herself into. She had pulled back when she saw all the damage to Vash's body. She never once screamed though. Even though curiosity could be read all over her face, she never asked him about it. She never asked him about anything.

_When Knives woke up for the first time since their arrival, Kiva had been in the room alone with him. Vash was stretching his legs. Vash had heard Kiva scream and when he ran into the room he saw Knives holding Kiva two feet above the floor by her throat. "Let her go, Knives," Vash had shouted as he grabbed his brother's arm and forced Knives to release her._

_Kiva fell to her knees coughing, trying to regain her breath while she held her throat. "Stay out of it, Vash," Knives snapped, "I never want to hear that song again!" Hate was easy to read in Knives' eyes. _

_"You won't hurt her Knives, she's the one who's been taking care of us," Vash practically growled. He grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the jaw hard. _

_When Knives smiled he pulled his hand back to do it again but this time two dainty hands grabbed his arm. He turned to look at their master, Kiva's eyes were watery as she stared up at him. "Please," her voice was raw, not nearly as pleasant as it had been before, "Please don't hurt him. It's my fault, I shouldn't have been humming that song. Please don't fight."_

_Vash was utterly confused. He released Knives, who started laughing and stared at the woman. "Kiva," he told her softly, trying to ignore his horrible brother's laughs, "Knives had no right to hurt you." _

_"I'm fine," she told him quickly. _

_Before Vash could respond to her she had let go of his arm and ran from the room. The door slammed closed and Knives' laughter faded. Vash looked at the floor. She had been changing the bandages on Knives' leg, they were all sprawled out. Vash picked them up and stared at his brother. "Don't you dare hurt her again," Vash told Knives, "bandage yourself." _

_Knives laughed again and caught the bandage roll as Vash threw it to him. "You're so weak," Knives told him, "still protecting humans I see." _

That's how things went. Knives was cruel to Kiva but she wouldn't let Vash hit him more than once. Knives would laugh and call him pathetic in some way. Several times he had made Kiva cry. There was no way Vash could bring his monstrous brother around the woman he loved…. He wanted more than anything to go back to Meryl… but Knives just couldn't behave. He had to make him change his views on humanity and he had an idea how, but it would take time.


	2. Chapter 2: Return

**A/N: So this chapter has been wrote out for a long while... but I wasn't ready to post it yet. I'm hoping I will continue this story, it'll be fun... but I also do not know that I will have the time and motivation. Next chapter will contain a lemon I think. That's what I've got it wrote as anyway. I'll give more heads up next chapter.**

**Chapter Two:**

Vash stood leaning against the wall outside the kitchen of Kiva's home. He had never minded being alone before. Now all he could think about was Meryl. He was afraid at this rate she'd believe that he wasn't ever coming back. She'd move on and he'd lose the woman he cared for most. He knew the two of them being together was illogical. He was a plant, she was a human. He'd live forever, she'd die in 50 years or so. Who would have thought that Vash the Stampede would want a romantic relationship with anyone?

Vash closed his green eyes and exhaled slowly, the sigh was nearly inaudible. From where he was, he could hear everything going on in the kitchen. Sounds of Kiva's humming were hard to miss. Knives would occasionally grunt, sounding like an animal, if she started humming a different song. She was stuck on replay. "Why do you have to hum all the time? You humans are annoying," Knives told her. His voice was as heartless as ever.

Vash wished the woman would get mad at Knives, show some backbone to him. For four months they had stayed with her. She never once got angry with Knives. There was something not-right with her. Kiva's humming stopped, Vash could almost hear the soft smile she was probably giving Knives. She was almost always smiling. Another thing that wasn't right with her. "I'm sorry that you find humans annoying," Kiva told Knives, it was the same thing she always said. Then she said something that threw Vash off guard, something new and totally different, "Why do you hate humans so much, Knives?"

Every muscle in Vash's body tightened and he peeked into the room. Knives placed his glass down slowly. Vash had no idea how Knives would react, he was ready in case he would become violent. Kiva had never once tried to pry into their private lives, this was new and he had to be ready for anything. Abruptly Knives began laughing. It was an evil laugh but Kiva didn't bat an eye. 'Something's really not right with her,' Vash thought.

Kiva placed her hands on the table across from Knives, leaning forward to stare into his eyes. His laughter stopped and there was a moment of pure silence. Vash had no idea what was going on, he thought for a moment that Knives' eyes lowered to the woman's chest, but he knew he had to have been imagining it. The look between them was bizarre at best. Once their eyes met they remained locked. Knives calmly told her, "Because humans are sentimental fools. They are selfish. They believe they are a superior breed of beast. The moment they feel the fear of knowing there is a breed more superior, they act merely on instinct. They are not superior. They are pathetic."

Vash watched Kiva take in his answer. She furrowed her brows slightly but it didn't last long. She walked around the table and sat next to him. She really was a short girl. Probably as short as Meryl, if not shorter. She looked like a child next to Knives, aside from her figure. Vash nearly held his breath, she was probably too close for Knives' liking. The day was full of surprises however. Kiva placed her right hand on Knives' left. Vash thought he saw Knives flinch. "I guess that means you are superior to me then," Kiva said so quietly Vash almost missed it. "I am sorry that you feel that way about humans," she paused for a moment then added, "about me." Vash could hear the slight tinge of hurt in her voice.

Knives pulled his hand away from hers as if she had burned him. Her whole body flinched when he did. Knives did nothing, said nothing. Vash was shocked beyond words. Knives didn't act angry that she had touched him, that she was so close, that she had spoken. Vash wondered if he was truly angry.

The truth of the matter is that Knives was broken. He had spent so much time hating humans because of being bullied that he didn't know what to do now that someone was nice to him. There really was something wrong with that girl.

Six months had now passed and Meryl had still not seen Vash. She kept herself occupied with work. She and Milly had quit working at the Bernadelli Insurance Company right after Vash left, so now she was working at a trading post. Milly had quite the baby bump growing and was past the point of being overly depressed. Meryl was happy for her friend, she now would have a piece of the man she loved forever. Milly's pregnancy was coming to an end; a new chapter was about to begin in their lives.

Meryl walked home from the post sluggishly. It had been a long day. She was tired, hungry, and ready to relax. She was about to open the front door when she heard Milly say, "Meryl should be home from work any time now." Meryl's heart skipped a beat. 'Who is she talking to,' Meryl asked herself.

Meryl entered the house and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Sitting in their living room was the sixty billion double dollar man. "Vash," she said his name quietly. She was afraid she was imagining this.

"Long time no see," he told her casually as he waved.

The tension in the room was thick. It seemed that neither of them knew what to do. Milly wished they'd just embrace, say they missed each other, and get on with it. Maybe it was her pregnancy but she was feeling quite impatient.

The silence was broken by Knives clearing his throat. He and Kiva were sitting beside Vash. Milly smiled and introduced them, "Meryl, this is Mister Vash's brother, Knives, and this is Kiva Armstrong. She's a nurse who took care of them." Knives' facial features resembled Vash's. His hair was a lighter shade of blond that he kept shorter than Vash and his eyes were blue.

A ping of jealousy hit Meryl. Another woman had been around Vash while she couldn't be. She was frightened to be around Knives as well. She knew he hated humans. "What the hell took you so long," Meryl asked Vash. She couldn't help but be angry, she didn't know how to express that she had been worried. "You said you wouldn't keep me waiting long," her voice cracked at the end. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving herself a hug for comfort. Meryl felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh Meryl," Milly said softly. She felt sorry for her friend.

"Knives is a real pain in the butt sometimes," Vash told her with a laugh. It was clear he was trying to lighten the mood. Knives wasn't amused. It was clear to anyone who was looking at him that he was angry and probably wished to hit his idiot brother. "Hey do you girls have anything to eat? I'm starving," Vash said as he flashed a cheeky smile and stood up.

Meryl wanted to hit him now too. She bit her tongue and went to the kitchen. Vash followed her while Knives, Kiva, and Milly remained in the living room. Meryl started grumbling while she grabbed some things from the cabinet. Vash approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Meryl froze in place, her cheeks slowly tinting pink. "Vash," she said quietly, the tears she had been suppressing fell down her cheeks. He released her and she turned to face him. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. "Oh Vash," she cried softly.

Vash embraced her and whispered, "I'm sorry, Meryl. I didn't want to bring Knives here if he would hurt you. It took forever but Kiva seems to have gotten through to him better than I did. It just took a lot longer than I thought."

While Vash and Meryl made up in the kitchen Milly felt uncomfortable around Knives. His eyes screamed 'hate' as he looked around. The woman, Kiva, had been extremely quiet. Milly looked at Kiva and said, "Thanks for taking care of Mister Vash. Meryl really cares about him and was worried. I knew he'd come back to her though."

Milly's smile was met by a kind one from Kiva. "It was my pleasure. Vash is a very kind man," Kiva's words trailed off as she stole a glance at Knives who was sitting with his arms crossed. "I was wondering," Kiva questioned as she looked back to Milly, "When is your baby due? Have you been seeing a doctor? I don't mean to pry because it's truthfully none of my business, but I adore children and wish them the best."

Milly nodded and grinned, while responding "Oh yes, I've been doing everything I'm supposed to. Meryl wouldn't let me do anything less, not that I wouldn't do so myself. The baby is due in a few weeks." Milly rubbed her swollen baby bump with her hand and continued to smile.

If Milly had been paying more attention to Kiva, she'd of saw the same thing that Knives saw, a flash of envy within her eyes. Knives smirked to himself. He had something else to add to his dislike of this nurse. He couldn't wait for Vash to leave her alone with him. He had big plans for this woman. He was going to enjoy using her.

Milly was staring at the two of them. Something was strange between them. It was a bizarre tension that Milly had noticed between Vash and Meryl at one point. The tension was a little different though. There was so much hate within Knives that it couldn't possibly be the same. "Mister Knives," Milly's voice rang out in her cheery tone, "Are you happy to be here?"

Knives stared at the woman. 'Is she really so dim,' Knives asked himself. He wouldn't bother lying. He stared into her eyes as if he were staring straight into her soul. His voice was mirthless as he replied, "Humans are the exact opposite of happiness. I could never be happy around such pathetic creatures. All you worthless beings do is consume and destroy."

Milly's eyes didn't wavier. She was upset by his answer but was prepared for it. The way he spoke though, it was as if he was trying to convince himself of that. "Well," Milly stated cheerfully, "I hope you someday change your mind." Milly's smile was genuine even after Knives glared at her.


	3. Chapter 3: This Can't Be Happening

_A/N: So I enjoyed writing this chapter, I reallllly did. It has a LEMON! so beware of that. I feel like I may have rushed things but it's kind of important to the plot... so there's a method to my madness, promise! Honestly this is my first time ever writing a lemon... so i'm nervous about the way it turned out. Review would be adored... I am mostly writing this for myself, but it'd be awesome to receive feedback. If that happened I'd probably write more! _

**Chapter Three: This Can't Be Happening**

Meryl hadn't let Vash out of her site except to go to work and sleep for a whole week. He was feeling a little pressured but also content. He was used to being alone but the insurance girls changed that. Vash never left Knives alone either. Vash lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was strange, his brother's snoring never bothered him before. Vash reluctantly sat up, there was no point in laying there when he couldn't shut his mind off. He wondered if anyone else was still awake. He knew probably not. He slipped his shirt on and quietly stepped outside the bedroom door. The house was really too small for 5 soon to be 6 people living in it. It had two bedrooms. Kiva was sleeping on the couch and Meryl and Milly shared one room, Knives and Vash shared another.

Vash rubbed his eyes and listened to the voices from the living room. "Do you really think so, Miss Kiva," Milly said so quietly Vash could barely hear. He didn't hear Kiva's reply but hear Milly's next one, "It would be quite interesting." Vash heard Milly laugh and made his way into the living room. "Oh hello Mister Vash," Milly exclaimed cheerfully, "I hope we didn't wake you."

Vash shook his head and sat down in an arm chair, he really hated his long legs. The chair was so short and he looked like an adult sitting in a little kid's chair. He yawned and rubbed his forehead with his right hand. "Nah," he said quietly, "I just couldn't shut my mind off."

Vash watched as both women looked at him with worry. He smiled and laughed as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Hey don't worry about it girls, I'll sleep soon," he reassured them. "Kiva, if you want you could go sleep in my bed. Knives is snoring loudly so I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon. If he does just give a yell and I'll go straighten him out."

Vash watched as the color drained from Kiva's face. It only lasted a few seconds but it was clear. She really was quite afraid of Knives. Vash understood. Knives was constantly threatening to end her life. For some reason Vash just couldn't picture Knives doing it though. The way Knives stared at Kiva was deeper than just a hate for humanity. There was something more, even the blond idiot could see that. Kiva nodded and mumbled, "Goodnight," before she stood and went to Vash's room.

When Kiva was out of view Milly broke the silence, "Do you really think that's a good idea, Mister Vash? Mister Knives isn't very kind."

Vash looked at Milly and offered a small smile before adding, "Oh I know but I don't think he'd hurt her. I think my dear brother has a soft spot for that girl." He laughed and Milly stared at him confused. "He's had plenty of chances to kill her but he hasn't. Even when she slips up and does something he doesn't like, he hasn't done any serious damage to her. That's the reason I begged her to come with us. I'm hoping that she'll be able to get through to him."

Kiva looked around the darkened room as she quietly walked towards the empty bed. Vash had been right, Knives was snoring loudly. From a medical perspective that wasn't a good thing. It meant that he wasn't breathing properly. Kiva wanted to wake him up and have him change positions to free his airways, but she knew better. Knives was a cruel and heartless man and she enjoyed living.

Kiva undressed as quietly as she could, leaving only her bra and panties on. She had a door blocking her from everyone but Knives. She knew he wouldn't feel attraction and she was not embarrassed to be almost naked in front of him. A small part of her wished he would take an interest in her but she always pushed that piece of her heart away because she knew she deserved someone who would love her; Knives never would.

She was just about to get under Vash's covers when Knives suddenly stopped snoring. Kiva turned to look at the man only to find his eyes open and staring at her. "What are you doing," He hissed. Kiva didn't have time to answer before he was sitting up.

"I," she started, "I was going to bed. Vash wasn't able to sleep so he said I could sleep in his bed," She rushed through her explanation. She watched as his eyes looked over her body, she suppressed the urge to gulp. There was a strange, unfamiliar look in his eyes. He stood from the bed, his tall frame towering over her as she sat on Vash's bed. "W-what are you doing," she asked with a slight stutter as Knives gripped her shoulders with his hands.

He didn't answer her as he pulled her up, making her stand on the bed. Kiva's body trembled and she was about to shout for Vash when Knives' grip on her lessened. "Don't even think about it," He warned her, "I don't want Vash to interrupt me."

Kiva's body froze. She was terrified. She continued to tremble as Knives stared at her, their eyes were now at the same level since she was standing on the bed. Knives released his light grip on her shoulders and his calloused fingers softly glided down her arms to her hands. It was enough to make her blush and shiver all at the same time. She had never known Knives to do anything gently. He grabbed her hands and placed them on his broad shoulders, their eyes locked.

Kiva was so confused. She had no idea what was going on. Knives hated her but he was letting -no, _making_- her touch him. Kiva internally shuddered as he placed his hands on her slim waist. 'Maybe I should have stayed dressed after all,' she told herself. Knives pulled her close, making his body press against hers. Kiva's whole face turned as red as a strawberry. "Kn-Knives," she asked as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

This was too much for Kiva. She liked this man for some unknown reason so she was on cloud 9. Logic told her that this shouldn't be happening at all, he hated her. He hated everything about all humans. She tried to fight the desire she had, she tried to side with logic. All reasoning flew out the window when he pressed his chapped lips against her neck and kissed it roughly. If her hands hadn't been on his shoulders she would have melted into a big puddle right on the bed. 'This can't be happening,' she thought

Knives smirked a little but Kiva couldn't see it. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was shallow. 'Humans are too easy to get worked up,' Knives thought. He slipped his right hand up from her waist to the lacy fabric of her bra. She flinched a little but that didn't bother him, he got great pleasure out of knowing she feared him. Knives gripped her breast roughly, it filled his hand nicely without being too much. 'It's as if she were made to be mine,' Knives thought but then corrected himself, 'No, she's just the perfect pawn.'

Knives let his fingers slip into the fabric and found her hardened nipple. He couldn't help but smirk; this was too easy. He felt her body tense up and she attempted to pull away. He wouldn't allow that. Instead he wrapped both arms around her waist and lifted her from the bed. He heard her gasp and she tried to free herself but Knives was too strong. Without difficulty he pinned her to his bed and pressed his body against hers. She was so small compared to him, he suddenly questioned if she'd survive what he planned to do to her. He told himself he didn't care.

Knives leaned up enough to unclasp her bra. He was fortunate that it fastened in the front. He smirked as Kiva quickly placed her hands over her chest. "It's adorable that you think you can hide them from me," He told her in a husky voice. He grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head with one hand then used the other to pinch and pull at one of her hardened buds.

He was so caught up in his own fun that he didn't even notice that Kiva started relaxing underneath him. She had never been touched by a man before and her body was so sensitive. She panted slightly, her whole body starting to get hot. She had been turned on before, this wasn't new, but it was new to feel something hard pressing against her thigh. She gasped slightly when he leaned down and flicked his tongue against one of her buds. She wished he would free one of her hands so that she could cover her mouth. She didn't want to moan for him, she wouldn't give him that pleasure.

Knives' mouth was hot as he sucked on her nipple, she felt a familiar warmth forming between her legs, feeling like fire in her core. She knew that she was becoming moist. 'This is so embarrassing,' she thought. Her cheeks were tinted pink and she had to bite the inside of her lower lip to keep from moaning. She only closed her eyes for a moment when Knives pulled away from her. When she opened them she had expected to see him angry, instead they were both fully naked.

She opened her mouth to speak but Knives placed his free hand over her mouth and told her, "Be a good human and stay quiet. I would hate to have Vash ruin our fun." The twisted smile he gave her was enough to make her shiver. She was attracted to a demon.

Knives moved his hand from her mouth and grabbed hold of his manhood, the very thing he had felt no need for so long. He didn't know if a plant and a human could create life together but he certainly hoped so. He needed this to work for his plans. He positioned himself between her hips and watched fear flash through her. "Please be gentle Knives," She whispered. It was clear she had given up fighting him. He didn't like being bossed around so he glared at her. He was going to be as rough with her as he wanted, he would ravage her. "It's my first time," She practically cried.

Guilt. Knives felt guilt. Truth was it was his first time too. He had studied humans long enough to know that this was a big deal to them. She was nearly in tears so he informed her, "I will, at least until you're comfortable." He rubbed the tip of his erection against her unplucked flower. She was really quite wet, it was interesting and intoxicating. He slowly pressed himself between the folds and entered her.

He didn't have to push far before he felt a barrier. He released Kiva's arms and she wrapped them around his shoulders. He impatiently waited for her to nod, when she finally did he pushed deeper, breaking the barrier. He watched her face twist into an expression of pain. He didn't stop though, he pressed all of himself into her, reaching as deep as he possibly could. The time that passed was agonizing. Her wet walls hugged his erect manhood tighter than he ever imagined. He wanted to move but, for some reason he didn't understand, he couldn't. 'Why do I care if I hurt her,' he asked himself.

Kiva bit the inside of her lip, she could feel the blood pooling underneath her buttocks as it trickled from inside her now plucked flower. She had fought the urge to cry, fought the urge to push him from her. It hurt worse than she ever imagined. She wondered if that was due to his size. He remained perfectly still within her, waiting for her to give him the okay. It was a strange site, she didn't understand this man at all. She decided that she wanted this to be done right, so reluctantly Kiva lifted her head and pressed her soft lips against his chapped ones.

It didn't even take him a second to return her kiss. The kiss became passionate, heated, and heavy. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to move. He rocked his hips backwards, pulling his erection almost completely out of his pawn, then rocked them forward slowly as he pushed himself back inside her. He felt her moan softly against his lips. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She dueled his tongue well as he continued to move his erection in and out of her at that painfully slow speed.

Kiva's pain had mostly subsided and she was filled with pleasure. It was intense despite being so slow. It was unbelievable and she found she was having a very hard time keeping quiet. Knives broke their kiss and muttered something she couldn't understand. He started picking up speed with his thrusts, it was driving her wild. She allowed her hands to glide along the hard lines of his muscular arms. She couldn't believe this was happening, or that it had felt so good.

The faster he moved the harder it was to keep quiet. His manhood was rubbing all the right places of her womanhood. She didn't understand how she could be so pleasured by a man who hated her. She started to panic a little because he could kill her at any moment, she was so vulnerable like this. She couldn't focus on those feelings. 'If he kills me, I'll die happy,' she told herself.

Kiva buried her face into Knives' shoulder to keep from moaning to loudly as things got even more intense. "Kn-Knives," She whispered against his skin, "I-I'm going to," She didn't finish her sentence. It was just too embarrassing to tell _him_ she was going to climax. She didn't want to give _him_ that satisfaction.

"Me too," Knives told her, his voice sounding so much different. It was sexy. What he said didn't register in her mind at first. She felt a ripple of pleasure surge through her entire body and she wasn't in control of it. Every muscle in her body tightened, including the ones in her newly plucked flower. She arched her back and started to moan out louder than she should have. Knives quickly silenced her with a kiss, a deep passionate kiss.

As he kissed her she felt him tighten up. It dawned on her then what he had said. He had been reaching his climax too. She gasped against his lips as she felt hot semen shoot deep within her. It felt like lava pooling inside her but in a pleasurable way. All motion stopped. Neither dared to move. Kiva was so confused about what had just happened and was afraid of what would happen now.

It felt like an eternity passed and all they did was stare at each other. Knives didn't pull himself off of her, he didn't even pull himself out of her. This was nothing like she imagined her first time. This wasn't for love because Knives didn't love her. She didn't think she loved Knives either. She hoped she didn't, anyway. He was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence by saying, "Now you are forever mine."

Kiva was sure she didn't hear him right but she didn't dare question him. All Kiva could do was nod, she had no say in the matter and she had no idea what he had meant by it. She was afraid to know what he meant by it. After she nodded he pulled himself out and off of her and laid on his back beside her. She started to get up, knowing he hated being close to her, but he grabbed her wrist. The look her gave her screamed 'You aren't going anywhere' so she laid back down beside him. It took all that she had to fall asleep that night. He didn't hold her or make her feel loved, she knew he wouldn't. Sleep was so hard to come by that night.


	4. Chapter 4: A Rose By Any Other Name

**A/N: Okay... so I'm not 100% thrilled with this chapter. For the time being this story is on the back burner to All Or Nothing (It's for the Naruto fandom) I hate leaving it unfinished (and I will be finishing it later) but for now it's doing to remain incomplete. Sorry to do this. I just can't focus on two at once... and my muse is with All Or Nothing. I do promise I will update Aftermath when I get the drive to do so... right now that just isn't it. I'm so sorry! Gomenasai!**

**Chapter Four: A Rose By Any Other Name **

Knives began to stir as sunlight peeked through the curtain that covered the only window in the room. He really loathed that the window was on the east side of the house. He turned onto his side so that his back was to the window. His hand brushed against something warm and fleshy in the motion. He opened his eyes and saw that Kiva was still in his bed. She had her back to him so he couldn't see her face. A strange sensation came over him in his half-groggy state. He acted on the impulse instead of dismissing it. He carefully scooted his body closer to hers, she was nearly on the edge of the bed.

Without a thought Knives draped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He buried his face into her long dark hair and inhaled its scent. She always smelled of jasmine, he was now aware that it was her shampoo. He closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of her against him; they were still naked from their rendezvous. Her skin was so soft and her hair was so pretty. Knives had no idea why he was thinking such things about the object he had decided to use against his brother. Things weren't right with him now, it was like he wasn't himself and he hated it.

There was a knock at the door and his eyes flew open. He felt Kiva start to stir next to him and he quickly climbed over her and off the bed. "Go away Vash," Knives said as he searched for his pants, hoping that Vash would stay outside there with the door between them to argue.

"Um, actually it's Meryl," Meryl's voice called through the door. Knives relaxed a little, no way would the girl walk in without his okay. She feared him too much.

Knives groaned loud enough for Meryl to hear, a small smirk actually donning his face. He wanted her to believe he was still half asleep and annoyed. He _was_ annoyed but also amused. He watched as Kiva quickly redressed herself. They shared a look, one of understanding. Kiva climbed into Vash's bed and laid down, pretending to sleep. Knives turned and looked at his bed.

There was blood on his sheets as well as other fluids. He smirked again and covered them with his blanket. He wasn't wanting his brother to know of what he had done yet. His brother wouldn't see the genius in his plans, so he was going to hide it. Knives stomped his way over to the door, his expression changing from amused to irritate in quite a hurry. He opened the door and stared at the short little brunette. "What is it," he muttered harshly. It wasn't difficult for Knives to find his cruel-groove again.

Meryl looked at him for too long and he sneered at her which caused her to flinch. He really did love the fear all these women had of him. "I just came to get Kiva," Meryl told him in a hushed tone. Her facial expression showed a seriousness that Knives didn't want to mess with. He stepped aside and watched as Meryl entered the room. She didn't seem to be observing anything, she just seemed focused on Kiva. "Kiva," Meryl called to his pawn as she shook her shoulder.

He watched in amusement as Kiva acted as if she were waking up. Her fear of him was overly amusing, she feared him so much that she went out of her way to please him and do what he said. It was just too perfect. Knives stopped paying attention at that point.

He made his way over to his bed and laid on top of the covers, still not wishing to show his cards just yet. Getting the sheets clean would be child's play today. Milly, Meryl, and Kiva were going out. That left just Knives and Vash home alone. Knives didn't desire to do laundry but he couldn't very well leave evidence of Kiva's deflowering on his bed. It was unhygienic.

It wasn't until Kiva and Meryl had left the room that he got up from the bed. He immediately began pulling the sheet from the mattress and regretted it just as suddenly. There was a smell of dried blood and sexual fluids but along with it came the scent of Kiva. She always smelled like jasmine and he loved it. He told himself otherwise but the scent was intoxicating. He decided he'd strip Vash's bed too, the smell of her had to go.

* * *

><p>Kiva had showered as quickly as she could and then was rushed out the door with Meryl and Milly. Milly was due at any time so both of her companions were on edge about being out walking around. Kiva was the most on edge. She knew exercise could be a really great thing for pregnancy but it could also bring unnecessary pain. The girls went about their business at a snail's pace. Meryl spent her time practically running circles around Milly, a strange reversal of roles for the duo.<p>

Their last stop was by far the most interesting. The three of them were standing in front of a wooden desk with a fat balding man behind it. "Mr. Mayor," Meryl addressed him to grab his attention from the paperwork on his desk. "I'm Meryl Stryfe, this is Milly Thompson, and Kiva Armstrong." Meryl indicated which woman was which with her hands as she spoke. "My friend Milly would like to change her name to her married name. Her husband died shortly after they were married and with all of the obstacles we faced to get here, we had lost the documentation of the marriage."

This was a lie. There had been no marriage and so there were no papers to lose. Kiva was just very good at forging them. "I came across the paperwork when I was traveling and fortunately came across friends of Miss Thompson's by accident," Kiva lied.

The mayor took the paperwork from Kiva and studied it for a long time. "Everything seems to be in order," he said after a long wait, "I'll fill out the necessary paperwork, please have a seat."

The three of them sat down in the arm chairs. Milly rubbed her swollen belly, Meryl knotted her fingers together, and Kiva merely watched the man fill out the paperwork. When he was finished he slid a page towards Milly and handed her a pen. She took a deep breath and quickly signed the document as "Milly Thompson". The mayor made a copy of every paper and handed the copies to Milly. "There you are Mrs. Wolfwood. Have a nice day."

The three women were nearly out of the door when the mayor called out, "Miss Stryfe?" Meryl stopped and looked at the man. He didn't give her time to question him. "I hear there are two men now living with you as well as Miss Armstrong. I was curious if, by chance, either of the men knew how to shoot a gun?"

Meryl's stomach flip flopped and she thought she may throw up. Both men were master gunmen. Both men could take down countless enemies. She settled for being honest, "Neither of them owns a gun, Mr. Mayor." She hoped that would hint that they don't know how.

"Such a shame. It'd be nice to win some money in the regional gun tournament, with the baby coming and all. I hate knowing to hard working women like yourselves are struggling." He picked up a flyer and handed it to Meryl.

She gripped it lightly and said, "Thank you for your concern. We'll get through it." Then she left without giving him a chance to intrude further into her life.

* * *

><p>"Who does that guy think he is," Meryl asked as she stuffed a morsal of meat into her mouth. "We're trying to have a calm peaceful life. So the house is too small for all of us. So sometimes we have to stretch our food rations a little. People do that. It's not like we're any different than our neighbors or half the town."<p>

"You don't think he knows who Mr. Vash is, do you, Meryl," Milly asked sweetly. She was eating much slower because she wasn't feeling well. She felt like the baby was pushing her insides all over the place. Maybe the baby was.

"No, of course not. Vash has been very careful. He's not touched a gun since he defeated Knives."

"Will you be showing him the flyer then," Kiva asked quietly. She wasn't sure what exactly happened in the past. She preferred being in the dark. It made life less complicated. She had enough things on her mind right now, she didn't need anything else added to it.

"I don't plan to. I know he'd at least consider it, gun or not. I don't want history to keep repeating. I like living in this town. We can't really move now anyway. Not with the baby almost here," Meryl stopped talking to place her hand on Milly's belly and tell it, "You need stability don't you, Baby Wolfwood."

Kiva and Milly both smiled. Kiva was happy she had met Vash. She wasn't sure she was happy about meeting Knives. She was really happy to know these two though. They were worth any heartache Knives could cause her. "Then we'll burn the flyer and pretend we know nothing about it," Kiva said quietly.

Milly and Meryl stared at her for a few minutes. The silence was awkward and slightly intimidating. Kiva shifted her foot under the table. Milly broke the silence, "It's a good plan as long as they don't start hanging those all over the place."

"That's true," Meryl muttered. "Well, we'll just have to do our best to keep him out of that stupid competition."

"Agreed," Kiva said.

"Okie dokie," Milly said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Hey Knives," Vash called to his brother who was now hanging bedding out on the clothes line. "It's not like you to do laundry, what's up?"<p>

"It all smelled like Kiva," Knives' nose crinkled and he scowled.

"Why don't you like her that much," Vash asked while stuffing a donut into his mouth. "She's a real sweet girl and she likes you," Vash said with his mouth full.

"She's a human, that's enough reason for me not to like her."

Vash sighed and went back into the house. Knives followed him. "Did you see this," Vash asked as he held up a flyer for the gun tournament. "I'm just waiting on one of the girls to bring it up. I'm not doing it. No way. Last time Wolfwood dragged me into one it was bad news."

Knives took the flyer and stared at it for a moment. He crumpled it and threw it in the wastebasket. "We don't need the money. It's a waste of time. We would kill them all so easily, it wouldn't be worth the effort."

Vash frowned. His brother really needed to get over this hate of humans. It wasn't amusing or fun. He worked so hard and it felt like he was getting nowhere. He offered Knives a doughnut, which he actually took and bit into. They may be quite different in many ways, but they both loved doughnuts.

Meryl came storming through the front door. She looked like she had seen a ghost or something. "Milly's in labor," Meryl shouted. She was not composed at all. "She's going to have the baby!"

Vash looked at Knives who seemed unbothered. He grabbed his arm and said "C'mon we need to get to the hospital. "


End file.
